As is well-known in the staircase art and industry, a typical stair tread member, generally indicated by the reference character 10 in FIG. 1, is formed as an elongated member which conventionally comprises a substrate member 12, which is fabricated from fiberboard or particleboard having a predetermined density value, and a decorative laminate 14 which is secured over the substrate member 12, by means of suitable high-pressure bonding techniques, so as to effectively cover or encapsulate the substrate member 12. The front edge portion of the substrate member 12 comprises a nose portion 16 which is either integrally formed with the substrate member 12 so as to comprise a one-piece structure, or is integrally attached to the substrate member 12 prior to the covering or encapsulation of the substrate member 12 within the decorative laminate 14, while the oppositely disposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10 remain unfinished. In connection with the installation of staircase assemblies within residential or commercial structures, several different types of staircase structures or frameworks will commonly be required, and therefore encountered, in accordance with, or dictated by, the specific architectural layout or arrangement characteristic of, or incorporated within, the particular residential or commercial structure. More particularly, depending upon the particular disposition or location of the staircase assembly within the particular residential or commercial structure, the aforenoted oppositely disposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10 may remain unfinished, or alternatively, the aforenoted oppositely disposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10 need to effectively be covered by means of a suitable stair tread side edge plank member.
For example, oftentimes the staircase assembly is simply interposed between two interior side walls of the residential or commercial structure, whereby the front edge portion of each stair tread member 10 is the only exposed edge portion of the stair tread member 10. Accordingly, the oppositely disposed exposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10 will, in effect, be covered by means of the two interior side wall members of the residential or commercial structure whereby such oppositely disposed exposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10 do not need to be finished, and in addition, since the exposed front edge portion of the stair tread member 10 is already aesthetically finished by means of the integrally fabricated or integrally attached nose member 16 and the overlying laminate 14, no further finishing of the stair tread member 10 needs to be implemented. In accordance with other types of staircase assemblies, however, one or both side edge portions 18, 20 of each stair tread member 10, in addition to the front edge portion of the stair tread member 10, will be respectively exposed, whereby such side edge portions 18,20 of each stair tread member 10 must have stair tread side edge plank members, such as, for example, the stair tread side edge plank member, which is disclosed within FIG. 2 and which is generally indicated by the reference character 22, integrally attached thereto in order to impart an aesthetically finished appearance to such side edge portions 18,20 of each stair tread member 10.
More particularly, as was the case with the stair tread member 10, the stair tread side edge plank member 22 is formed as an elongated member comprising a substrate member 24, which is fabricated from fiberboard or particleboard having a predetermined density value, and a decorative laminate 26. The decorative laminate 26 is adapted to be similar to the decorative laminate 14 covering the stair tread substrate member 12, so as to aesthetically match the same when the stair tread side edge plank member 22 is secured to one of the oppositely disposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10, and is secured over the substrate member 24 by means of suitable high-pressure bonding techniques so as to effectively cover or encapsulate the substrate member 24. As was also the case with the stair tread member 10, the elongated edge portion of the substrate member 24 comprises a nose portion 28 which is either integrally formed with the substrate member 24 so as to comprise a one-piece structure, or is integrally attached to the substrate member 24 prior to the covering or encapsulation of the substrate member 24 within the decorative laminate 26. Continuing further, if, in fact, a stair tread side edge plank member 22 needs to be secured to one or both of the oppositely disposed side edge portions 18,20 of the stair tread member 10, the corner regions of the stair tread member 10 and the stair tread side edge plank member 22 need to be appropriately or suitably cut and trimmed in a mitered fashion, for example, so as to enable or facilitate the coupling together of such structural stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 whereby the stair tread side edge plank member 22 can effectively cover, for example, the originally exposed side edge portion 20 of the stair tread member 10 in an aesthetically smooth and seamless manner as disclosed within FIG. 3.
Various tools or jigs have in fact been developed in order to achieve the aforenoted cutting and trimming operations necessary to the proper mating and coupling together of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members in an aesthetically smooth and seamless manner, however, such tools or jigs are effectively limited in their capabilities in that they are not able to perform such cutting and trimming operations upon the opposite sides, or upon the opposite ends, of the stair tread and the stair tread side edge plank members so as to in fact enable both oppositely disposed exposed sides of the stair tread member to be appropriately finished in the desired manner. In addition, such PRIOR ART or previously developed tools or jigs have not in fact been able to appropriately cut and trim the riser members of the staircase assemblies when edge portions of the riser members are likewise exposed in accordance with the particular structure characteristic of a particular staircase assembly. For example, as disclosed within FIG. 4, in accordance with one conventional, PRIOR ART tool or jig for cutting and trimming stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members in order to permit or facilitate the integral coupling together of such members or components in an aesthetically smooth and seamless manner, wherein the tool or jig is generally indicated by the reference character 110, a support plate or work table 112 has an upper surface portion, not illustrated, and a lower surface portion 114. The upper surface portion is substantially planar so as to support a suitable cutting device, such as, for example, a router, for performing the cutting or trimming operation, and the lower surface portion 114 is provided with a plurality of clamping mechanisms and positioning devices so as to properly position and secure the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members when the same are being cut or trimmed.
More particularly, a first pair of stair tread locating pins 116,118 are mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 so as to engage the nose portion 16 of the stair tread member 10, and a second pair of universal locating pins 120,122 are also mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 so as to engage the right side edge portion 18 of the stair tread member 10. A separate locating pin 124 is also mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 so as to engage the edge portion of the stair tread member 10 which is disposed opposite the nose portion 16 of the stair tread member 10, and lastly, an adjustable lateral positioning member 126 is also mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 so as to likewise engage the edge portion of the stair tread member 10 which is disposed opposite the nose portion 16 of the stair tread member 10 and thereby effectively force the nose portion 16 of the stair tread member 10 into engagement with the first pair of stair tread locating pins 116,118 as the lateral positioning member 126 is positionally adjusted.
In this manner, when the stair tread member 10 is mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 such that the nose portion 16, the right side edge portion 18, and the edge portion of the stair tread member 10 disposed opposite the nose portion 16, are respectively engaged with the first and second pairs of locating pins 116,118, and 120,122, as well as with the separate locating pin 124, and when the lateral positioning member 126 is also appropriately adjusted, then the stair tread member 10 will be properly positioned upon the tool or jig 110 in connection with a through-slot 128 which is formed within the support plate or work table 112 so as to extend between the upper and lower surface portions of the support plate or work table 112. The through-slot 126 has a substantially “hockey-stick” type configuration comprising a linear or straight section 130, and an angled section 132 which is oriented or directed at a predetermined angle with respect to the linear or straight section 130, whereby the angled section 132 of the through-slot 126 enables or facilitates the cutting of the stair tread member 10 or the stair tread side edge plank member 22 in a mitered fashion such that the stair tread member 10 and stair tread side edge plank member 22 will be provided with complementary mitered interfaces whereby such complementary stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 can in fact be coupled together in an aesthetically smooth and seamless manner.
It is noted that when the stair tread side edge plank member 22 is mounted upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, the finished edge or nose portion 28 of the stair tread side edge plank member 22 will be disposed in contact with the second pair of universal locating pins 120,122, one end portion of the stair tread side edge plank member 22 will be disposed in contact with the locating pin 116, and the opposite end portion of the stair tread side edge plank member 22 will be disposed in contact with the separate locating pin 124. It is lastly noted that in order to respectively fixedly secure the stair tread member 10 or the stair tread side edge plank member 22 upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, a first set of clamping mechanisms 134 are disposed along one longitudinally extending side edge portion of the linear or straight section 130 of the “hockey-stick” slot 128, while a second set of clamping mechanisms 136, arranged in oppositely disposed pairs, are disposed along loci which are effectively perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the linear or straight section 130 of the “hockey-stick” slot 128. All of the clamping mechanisms 134,136 are utilized to secure the stair tread member 10 onto the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, however, only the first set of clamping mechanisms 134 are utilized to clamp the stair tread side edge plank member 22 onto the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112.
While the aforenoted tool or jig 110 has operated satisfactorily, it can be readily appreciated that this tool or jig 110 is effectively limited in its operational capabilities in that it only enables one originally exposed side edge portion of the stair tread member 10, that is, the right side edge portion 18 thereof, to be mated with a right side stair tread side edge plank member 22 because the aforenoted angled orientation of the angled portion 132 of the “hockeystick” type through-slot 128 does not readily permit cutting or trimming operations to be performed in connection with the opposite side edge portion of the stair tread member 10 or in connection with the opposite stair tread edge plank member which would be used to mate with the other exposed edge portion 20 of the stair tread member 10. Accordingly, another tool or jig, similar to the tool or jig 110 but having an oppositely angled or mirror-image through-slot formed therein, must be used if both opposite side edges of the stair tread member 10 needs to be aesthetically finished, but obviously, this does not comprise an efficient resolution to the aforenoted problem from a cost-effective manufacturing point of view.
Another possible alternative to the aforenoted problem, that is, to achieve mitered, or otherwise complementary mated interfaces upon both side edge portions of the stair tread member 10, or upon both opposite ends of the stair tread side edge plank member 22, by means of the same tool or jig, would be to simply invert or turn the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 upside down. In this manner, in lieu of the upper planar laminated surface portions 14,26 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 being disposed in contact with the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, the undersurface portions 30,32 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 would be disposed in contact with the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, or more particularly, the undersurface portions 30,32 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 would be facing or disposed toward the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112. It is to be appreciated, however, that the nose portions 16,28 of the stair tread and stair tread edge plank members 10, 22 will actually be disposed in contact with the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 whereby the undersurface portions 30,32 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 would actually not be able to be disposed in contact with the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 in a surface-to-surface or flush manner. Accordingly, either the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 would have to, in effect, be repositioned with respect to the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 such that the nose portions 16,28 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 would effectively be able to be positionally accommodated, or alternatively, particularly configured spacer members would have to be interposed between the under-surface portions 30,32 of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 and the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 so as to enable the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members 10,22 to be disposed upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112 in a stable manner. Obviously, again, neither one of these proposals is truly viable from an efficient, cost-effective manufacturing point of view.
Still yet further, another possible solution to the aforenoted problem, that is, to achieve mitered, or otherwise complementary mated interfaces upon both side edge portions of the stair tread member 10, or upon both opposite ends of the stair tread side edge plank member 22, by means of the same tool or jig, would be to install clamping mechanisms and other positioning components, similar to those installed upon the lower surface portion 114 of the support plate or work table 112, upon the upper surface portion of the support plate or work table 112. This proposal, however, would likewise not be a viable solution in view of the fact that the provision and disposition of the clamping mechanisms and the other positioning components upon the upper surface portion of the support plate or work table 112 would interfere with the mounting and operation of the router mechanism which is disposed upon The upper surface portion of the support plate or work table 112. Still yet further, the clamping mechanisms can be assembled upon one surface of the tool or jig, for example, upon the lower surface portion thereof, in order to perform a particular cutting and trimming operation with respect to one side edge of a stair tread member, or with respect to one end of a stair tread side edge plank member, and then in order to perform a corresponding cutting and trimming operation with respect to the other side edge of the stair tread member, or with respect to the other end of the stair tread side edge plank member, the clamping mechanisms could effectively be disassembled or dismounted from the lower surface portion of the tool or jib and reassembled or mounted upon the upper surface portion of the tool or jig. This procedure, however, would be quite time-consuming and tedious for operator personnel which, again, would be inefficient and not cost-effective from a manufacturing point of view. It is lastly noted that the conventional, PRIOR ART tool or jig 110 does not have its locating pins and clamping mechanisms arranged so as to in fact be capable of accommodating stair riser members.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved tool or jig which is specifically structured so as to be capable of cutting or trimming both oppositely disposed sides, or both oppositely disposed ends, of the stair tread and stair tread side edge plank members, as well as stair tread riser members, so as to in fact enable both oppositely disposed exposed sides of the stair tread and stair tread side edge members, as well as the riser members, to be appropriately cut, trimmed, and finished in the desired aesthetically pleasing, seamless manner.